Archive - Park Journey

Published on

February 20, 2015

The award for Best Attraction based on a movie goes to ...

It's Oscar Weekend again, so we figured we'd have a little fun today and look at some attractions that are themed to movies. These go from 3D movies, motion simulators, coasters, shows and dark rides. So while the attractions themselves are nowhere comparable we are going to have fun looking at them anyway. =)

Note, some of the rides below (Green Lantern, Superman, Spiderman etc) may be based on the comic book version of the character, but we've included them anyway.

* Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger version

We'll start off our list with two Pixar attractions that were quick fixes for DCA 1.0.

Based on Pixar's Monsters Inc.

Green Lantern: First Flight - SFMM (based more from the comic, thankfully)

Beauty and the Beast Show - DHS

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage - Disneyland

Batman: The Ride - Various Six Flags Park

Star Tours 1.0 - DHS

The first of a few Superman themed rides on this list

Twister - Universal Studios Florida

The Great Movie Ride - DHS (hopefully the rumored changes to this ride will come soon)

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - Disneyland

Transformers The Ride - USH and USF

Alice in Wonderland - Disneyland

Superman: Escape From Krypton - SFMM

The Simpsons Ride (based more on the TV show than the movie)

Mickey's PhilharMagic - Magic Kingdom (lots of great moments in this show)

CarsLand - One movie, one entire land. Maters is the best ride here (IMO)

Winnie the Pooh - Magic Kingdom

Jurassic Park - USH

Shrek 4D - USF and USH

Aladdin's Flying Carpets - Magic Kingdom

Good Mummy - USF

Waterworkd - USH (is this thing STILL here ... =) )

Terminator 2: 3D - USH (thankfully this was put out of it's misery)

Superman Ride of Steel - SFA

Terminator Salvation: The Ride - Forgettable movie, but this ride was awesome when it first opened.

Batman and Robin: The Chiller - SFGAdv (RIP)

Based on Pixars A Bugs Life

Jaws, RIP

The Incredible Hulk - Islands of Adventure

The Seas with Nemo and Friends - EPCOT

The Dark Knight - Very underrated IMO

Star Tours 2.0 - Disneyland

Voyage to the Little Mermaid - DHS

Dumbo - Disneyland and Magic Kingdom

Dinosaur - Disney's Animal Kingdom. Based on a movie Disney would like you to forget.

Muppet Vision 3D - DHS

E.T. Adventure - Universal Studios Florida

Superman Ultimate Flight - SFDK

Winnie The Pooh - Disneyland

The Little Mermaid - DCA and MK. The rides are the same, the queues aren't.

Stitch's Great Escape - This great movie deserves a better attraction

Snow White's Scary Adventures - Magic Kingdom (RIP)

Spiderman - Islands of Adventure

Jurassic Park - IOA

Peter Pan's Flight - Magic Kingdom

Pinnocchio's Daring Journey - Disneyland

OK Mummy - USH

Top Gun (now Flight Deck) - CGA

Jimmy Neutron's Nickelodeon Blast - USH (chicken dance!)

MIB Alien Attack - USF

Haunted Mansion Holiday - It's an overlay, but it still applies

Based on Despicable Me

Last and most certainly not least, the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour. Not only does it have some great "show" stops, but getting to see where so many great movies were actually made is always a treat.
Be sure to check out our look at the Studio Tour on it's 50th Anniversary from July of last year. .

So what's your favorite attraction inspired by a movie? Is it on this list? We know we are missing some. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.

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February 16, 2015

Twisted Colossus Backstage Tour #2

As a Presidents Day treat we were invited up to Six Flags Magic Mountain to get another backstage tour of Twisted Colossus.

It's safe to say we were pretty excited for Twisted Colossus before. It's even more safe to say that we are even more excited after getting an up close and personal look at the ride.

This promises to be a treat and something that people are going to want to put at the top of their "must ride" lists for Summer 2015 and beyond. But enough talk, lets get to the good stuff.

Photos by CoasterMatt / Words by Gregg Condon

* Click on any of the pictures below for a larger version

The theater has yet to receive any work, although we did notice them doing some wood work as we were leaving.

Within the next two weeks, this area will be demolished to make way for the new entry area and Screampunk District sign.

The bathrooms were actually open for the workers. That's nice of them. =)

Work is going on outside of the new sandwich shop

There will be a stairway from the main walkway up to the new restaurant.

The Colossus sign is now gone. I don't have it even though I asked them for it. =)

Some signs for the old ride are still up. Nothing too cosmetic has been done to the station building. That will for sure be coming.

Transfer track and final brake run.

Supports for the drive tires will be added soon.

Not sure if this is going to be overflow queue, but hopefully something.

Lets head in and take a closer look at the ride.

That's one cool looking pair of lift hills.

Lots of motors

There are quite a few containers on site for various construction needs, and microwaves. =)

Hmmm, what could be lurking under there?

Hey, we saw this at IAAPA ... although there were less people around it today which means awesome pictures.

Non-Front car. The coaster will have a lap bar. ankle bar, seat belt and there is a handle on each side. But this is gonna be a hands-up ride for sure!!!

Nerd porn ...

It's enabled ... lets ride!!

That's a nice looking train. Other trains will be Blue, Green and Purple. They are going to look very nice on the track.

I think most of us thought our tour was over at this point, we were so wrong.

Yeah, can't see this from the parking lot. =)

Stairs and elements galore!!

The lowest part of the ride

They were working more on the lift hill structure during our tour

Want some wood?

If there's a better looking first drop out there we'd sure love to see it. This is going to be awesome, and we'll get to do it twice!!

Lots of twisty track is ready to go up.

More stuff for the high five was going up as well

We also got to take a look at the new paint for Scream

I wasn't convinced of the new colors, but they really do "pop".

They are painting the ride with brushes and rollers (no spray guns) and are applying a primer first. In this shot you can see the old color (lower left), primer (lighter orange) and the final coat (darker orange). Hopefully this will insure the paint lasts awhile.

As for the parking lot, the park assured us we are going to have our very own parking spot when they re-paint the lot prior to the ride opening.

But seriously people, when you are down there, you can't see the lot at all. It's pretty much faded at this point. While sure, some landscaping or even some gravel would be nice I think there are more pressing issues that they are certainly addressing.

That's going to wrap it up for this update.

We want to thank Six Flags Magic Mountain for having us out. The fact that we are the "newest" website that was there today is by no means lost on us. It just makes these events that much more special.

Thanks for reading, we hope you enjoyed the update.

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Published on

February 15, 2015

In My Opinion - My Top 10 Steel Coasters (RD Sussman)

This week RD is taking it easy on us, and sharing his own personal top 10. I think it's safe to say that his top 10 is a bit different than most enthusiasts, but I think we all have at least one or two coasters in our top 10 that wouldn't make sense to people.

Enjoy this weeks article and feel free to post your personal Top 10 below. - Gregg

One of the most common questions I see get asked is "What is your top 10 (insert coaster class here)? And I will admit, I've shyed away from really having more than a top three, as in all reality, I like just about every coaster I go on, in one form or another. For me, to really make an impression on me is a rarity; seldom do rides have a WOW factor these days that is really worth anything. A great view is nice, but a boring & mundane ride that is forceless really does not deserve a top 10 position. In the same area, a ride can be 40 ft. tall, and deliver quite a punch, but sitting in an ugly area, or badly treated it will not qualify.

As a whole, this is my top 10. Each ride in the list has criteria for me which make it noteworthy - and not necessarily because of the ride's performance, but something memorable or important has occurred on the ride. There are defunct coasters on the list; before you start to complain, I feel that even if the ride is gone, it is worthy of maintaining a position, as a tribute to the ride's history & impact.

10. Outer Limits: Flight of Fear (2001 modified), Kings Dominion/Kings Island
As the very first full-circuit LIM coasters, the Premier Bowl design was possibly the most complicated coaster built at the time of its opening. For me, the warped & twisted layout, strange force changes, and smooth performance make it a hard to touch ride. Add in an impressive launch & oddball finale, it is an amazing ride to me to this day.

9. Tennessee Tornado, Dollywood
As one of Arrow's last projects (and one of the first designs by Alan Shilke) TT stands out as being a non-Arrow Arrow. Glass smooth, incredible scenery, blinding speed, weird trick-track inversions - all of it adds up to a stunning ride with spectacular performance. Had Arrow continued and built more of this class of ride, the skyline would be VERY different today. Alan Shilke, if you're reading this, PLEASE GO AND BUILD MORE RIDES LIKE THIS!

8. Space Mountain (Starport Seven Five), Walt Disney World/Magic Kingdom
SP75 holds a position for me as being a critical ride that I still enjoy whenever I get a chance to. This was the ride that turned me into a coaster man; to this day I can recall my first ride on it clearly: March 8,1988, Alpha side. The ride itself is a simple combination of dips & curves, but it performs admirably 40 years on, and is a must-do for enclosed steel coaster fans.

7. Georgia Scorcher, Six Flags Over Georgia
Before B&M lost their mojo, they created a number of notable coasters. Of their Standing variety, Georgia Scorcher stands out - WAY out. Incredibly forceful with a twisted and compact layout, GS fits so perfectly that it seems organic to the park. Though overshadowed by larger siblings on both coasts, GS still rises above either of them as far as thrills & a fantastic performance.

6. Big Bad Wolf, Busch Gardens: The Old Country
Big Bad Wolf holds a position though defunct due to several factors. Taking the concept of the Arrow Suspended ride to absolute definition, BBW was not the biggest, nor the tallest, nor the fastest - but consistently delivered on performance & thrills. It was also my first large steel coaster, back in 1987.

5. Fire Chaser Express, Dollywood
As a new for 2014 coaster goes, this was well beyond what I expected, and a real knockout when it comes to family coasters. Gerstlauer's thinking out of the box produced a ride that is silky smooth, has excellent changes in forces, a fantastic scenic view, and very cool special effects. The result is a family coaster like none other built in the USA, or for that matter the world. This is a concept that will be capitalized on many times over in the next decade, and Dollywood will hold the claim of starting the fire...chaser.

4.Ninja, Six Flags Magic Mountain
While not the tallest nor fastest Arrow suspended coaster, Ninja had (until late last year) one of the best scenic rides of any coaster anywhere. Built over an existing hydroflume, and having an unusual split-lift hill, Ninja's course does not disappoint, nor does it let up anywhere along the 2700 foot track. For me, night rides are stellar, with the swaying/whipping action of the train highlighted by the sparkling lights from underneath, as well as the shadows of the trees on the ride itself. A real winner all around.

3. Mindbender, West Edmonton Mall
#3 & #2 are both interchangable - not only do they share the same name, they share the same designer. However, beyond that they differ completely. WEM's Mindbender takes a previous coaster concept that Schwarzkopf used, and made it taller, longer & plenty meaner. For steel coaster fans, it is the holy-grail of force monsters, pushing you to limits & G force like no other ride on earth can muster. Combined with near year-round operation, this is a MUST-DO for any real coaster rider.

2. MindBender, Six Flags Over Georgia
Built in 1978, Schwarzkopf's Heartlinelooping system used in MindBender broke the concept of what steel coasters could do. Having a layout that uses the terrain so perfectly is rare, combined with insane high speed inversions, a mid-course diving spiral, deep straightline drops, and a high-G finale, MindBender redefined the art of steel coasters in a way that has never been done since. MindBender's single-point restraints (A simple lap bar) gives a rider the freedom to enjoy the ride as it was intended.

1. Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Nessie has been in my #1 spot now for 24 straight years. Why? It has factors that no other ride on earth can compete with: Stunning visuals & incredible beauty, a custom layout with conterminous interlocking loops (look it up...), a smooth ride, a series of impressive force moments, and a scenic trip throughout the ravine at BGW. I chose my college based upon how far it was from LNM to my dorm; in fact, LNM is my high-cycle coaster as well. Nessie reigns at the top, and as she turns 37 this year she still can hold her own, much better than many of her larger competition can claim.

So you're wondering why there aren't a lot of foreign coasters on the list. First, I omitted ones that would be hard to get credits - such as Olympia Looping (which would place at #4) or Blue Fire (Which would place at #6). While these rides are insanely good, and well worth the trip, for most people they are as far away as the moon, and just as hard to reach. I also omitted production rides as a whole - notably the JetStar & Jumbo Jet from Schwarzkopf - as they are incredibly rare in the USA, much less the world. These too should be part of the list, and were also removed for their rarity.

You will also note that the entire list is made up of lower-height rides. While I will ride just about anything produced, I have found for the most part these giant coasters are one-trick ponies. I305 isn't on the list - nor is SkyRush (both from Intamin) as I've yet to ride either. While top-notch rides, I would rather have an objective list that has my opinions on rides, rather than to make claims that are spurious at best.

As for whether there will be a wooden coaster top 10, I can say this: There won't be one - not from me. For the most part, I'm not a big fan of wooden coasters; GCI tends to hit the mark when I DO want a wooden ride. If I were to put a few on a list, Grizzly (KD), WildCat (HP), and Thunderhead (DW) would be on there for sure. Beyond that, I tend not to ride wooden coasters often; my physical condition makes it hard to handle the shuffling well anymore.

So what do you think of RD's top 10? Unconventional to say the least, but everybody has their favorites for a variety of reasons.

Feel free to post your top 10 below, we'd love to see what everybody else loves to ride.

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Published on

February 13, 2015

ScareLA announces 2015 Expansion Plans

In just it's third year the amazing ScareLA is going to be expanding to the Pasadena Convention Center for this years event. This means bigger stages, bigger scares and more of what we've come to love about this great event.
See all the details including dates of this years event below. We hope to see you there!!

ScareLA Convention Announces 2015 Expansion Plans

The Los Angeles Fan Favorite Con Set to Launch Tickets Pre-Sale; Relocates to the Pasadena Convention Center Opening to a National Audience; Adds Bigger Show Floor, Entertainment and More; Celebrates the Love for Horror this Valentine’s Weekend

Feb. 13, 2015 - LOS ANGELES -- ScareLA, the Southern California Halloween convention, is excited to announce its expansion to a new venue, the Pasadena Convention Center for the event’s 2015 edition on August 8 and 9, 2015. The move will increase the con’s show floor to over 100,000 sq. ft. to accommodate a growing list of vendors, attractions, and entertainment. Tickets presale is scheduled to launch within the following week with aggressive discounts for fans and e-mail list subscribers.

Sliders take the ScareLA stage (photo credit: Michael Wada)

"ScareLA 2015 is off to a great start with our expansion into the Pasadena Convention Center," said Lora Ivanova, ScareLA Executive Producer and Co-founder. "What that means for our fans is: more spooky vendors, easier access to classes and stage content, bigger interactive haunt exhibits and hotels within walking distance for anyone coming from out of town or wishing to make this a true mid-summer Halloween staycation. Our team is busy curating our 2015 programming and cannot wait to share our scary passion with Los Angeles this August!"

Debuting in 2013, ScareLA was created to celebrate the rich Southern California Halloween industry and community, from its iconic seasonal theme park events, to stand-alone haunted attractions and even home haunts. The event has become a mecca for horror lovers on the West Coast and beyond extending the Halloween season through the summer. Attracting nearly 4,000 guests in 2013, and more than 6,000 in 2014, ScareLA has become one of the fastest growing independent conventions in the U.S. to-date.

ScareLA's main stage gathers hundreds of fans (photo credit: Michael Wada)

"We're very excited by ScareLA's rapid growth, and the Pasadena Convention Center allows us to provide room for more guests, more exhibitors, larger displays, and bigger monsters,” says ScareLA Executive Producer and Co-Founder David Markland.

Featuring multiple parking lots, hotels, convenient public transportation, and fantastic dining options all within walking distance, the Pasadena Convention Center makes attending ScareLA easier than ever before.

The 2015 ScareLA program will take advantage of the new venue’s larger stages to host exclusive presentations from fan favorites such as Knott’s Scary Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest and more!

Guests returning to ScareLA will find a larger show floor with more Halloween/horror vendors, expanded classroom and workshop spaces, and a wide variety of live entertainment and immersive “mini haunt” experiences.

For more information and to sign up for ScareLA’s email list, visit www.scarela.com. Like ScareLA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ScareLAcon, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @ScareLosAngeles. Join the conversation on social media using #ScareLA.

Things can get spooky fun - ScareLA's costumed guests (photo credit Michael Wada

About ScareLA

ScareLA is the Southern California convention dedicated to Halloween. It celebrates the unique spirit of the American scare season traditions and the deep local heritage of the Greater Los Angeles region. Founded by Lora Ivanova and David Markland in 2013, ScareLA is produced in partnership with Theme Park Adventure. Featuring more than 150 specialty vendors, hands-on workshops, world-class industry panels and presentations, ScareLA is a large-scale summer festival of all things Halloween, a $10 billion industry worldwide.

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February 12, 2015

Luigi's Flying (re)Tires

Just 2 1/2 years after CarsLand opened, the area is seeing it's first ride close. The re-make of the classic Flying Saucers, Luigi's Flying Tires is set to close this Sunday (February 16) and a new attraction will be built in it's place.
While I personally enjoyed the ride you can see why it would be closing. Very low capacity, low ridership and a steep learning curve for general park visitors all contributed to it's ultimate demise.

Unfortunately this means that an attraction that cost close to $100 million is now going to cost additional millions to replace. While it was the hope of the Imagineers and namely, John Lasseter to bring the Flying Saucers back, in hindsight one has to wonder if they'd make the same decision.

Below we'll take a look at the ride and what is coming next.

Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger version.

The rides entrance, not anticipating this will look too different when the new ride opens.

Other than the flags saying "Luigi's Flying Tires" the building fits CarsLand well.

Even though the ride has very low capacity, after the initial rush of CarsLand opening, the line rarely had a line.

The queue is nice and has some great touches

And of course, Luigi loves his Ferrari's.

Oversized tires

As soon as you enter the outside area of the queue, you start to see instructions on how to ride. Not a good sign.

Ferrari Topiary

When you have to have detailed directions for riding in your queue line you have a problem.

Big step over the tire

The ride in action

Night shot

So what's next?

The artwork below is what is going to be replacing the ride. According to what we've heard, this is going to be similar to Aquatopia at Tokyo Disney Sea but obviously cars instead of boats.

Hopefully along with the trackless ride system coming to the US we'll get some great nighttime light packages like Aquatopia has.

So what do you think? Are you excited for something new in this spot? Did you enjoy Luigi's at all?

Let us know in the comments below.

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Published on

February 11, 2015

Sneak Peek of New Lego Star Wars Death Star MiniLand

2015 Attractions Legoland California Star Wars

Legoland sent us some great pictures and video of the installation for the all-new Lego Star Wars Death Star MiniLand that is set to open on March 5th.
Below you'll see the pics and video as well as a description of what's coming. We'll be there when the new MiniLand opens. Can't wait!!

All images and video courtesy of Legoland California. Click on any of the pictures to see a larger version.

LEGOLAND® California Resort Offers Sneak Peak of New
LEGO® STAR WARS™ Miniland Death Star Model Display Opening March 5

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2015) – The LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland Death Star Model Display has arrived to LEGOLAND® California Resort! The planet shaped LEGO® model, made out of more than a half million LEGO bricks, stands 13-feet high, 8-feet wide and weighs more than 1,900 pounds. The LEGO Death Star is the largest LEGO model to be added to LEGO® Star Wars™ Miniland and opens to guests on March 5.

Under the watchful eye of R2-D2, a team of builders used a fork lift to maneuver the massive LEGO model into position high above LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland, which opened to guests in 2011. The LEGO Death Star is designed from the version featured in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The new model display also features the famous trench run scene where Luke Skywalker maneuvered his X-Wing fighter through the combat zone to destroy the Death Star. Below the LEGO Death Star, guests are invited to use their imaginations to construct their own LEGO starships at building stations, while LEGO X-Wings, Tie Fighters and Y-Wings circle overhead.

The unveiling of the new LEGO Death Star on March 5 kicks-off the fan favorite, LEGO Star Wars™ Days event on March 7 and 8, where guests can spend the day participating in Star Wars™ related activities. LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland Death Star Model Display is included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. For ticket prices, operating schedule and additional information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-LEGO (5346).

LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® Aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park and LEGOLAND® Hotel. All are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display, Pirate Reef and Dino Island. SEA LIFE Aquarium is home to more than 5,000 living creatures and incorporates LEGO® models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean featuring play zones, fun facts and quiz trails. LEGOLAND Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River. New this year, LEGO Legends of Chima Water Park presented by Cartoon Network where guests splash about in a Lion Temple Wave Pool, slide out of a crocodile’s mouth and race LEGO boats. The nation’s first LEGOLAND Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, or kingdom plus more than 3,500 LEGO models throughout the three-story hotel. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

STAR WARS, THE CLONE WARS and related character names are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.

Star Wars and all character names and related indicia are © and ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.

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